Kenyan hospitals facing shortage of midwives

Health experts have said the country lacks enough midwives in in both public and private hospitals.

Currently, Kenya has about 2500 midwife nurses with only 71 having specialised in the profession.

According to them, this is the reason why the number of deaths and complications during childbirth is on the rise.

Most of the midwives in Kenyan hospitals have no specialised training as most of them are just regular nurses, they said.

Chairperson of the Midwives Association of Kenya Louisa Muteti said the last training was done in 2005 and there is an urgent need to introduce a new midwifery course in institutions offering medical courses.

Ms. Muteti also revealed that the association will petition county and national governments to employ more midwives to cater to the deficit.

She was speaking at Embu Level Five Hospital during the celebration of International Midwives Day.

Initially, Kenya used to train midwives but the government decided to incorporate the course into nursing studies in the 1990s, the chairperson said.

On her part, Judith Kunyiha, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Assistant Representative,  said well-trained midwives are key to providing adequate and sensitive care that a woman needs during pregnancy and childbirth.

They can help prevent two thirds of all maternal deaths and half of newborn deaths, provided they are well-educated, well-equipped, well-supported and regulated, she added.

Kunyiha noted that current curriculum needs to be reviewed.